If you have been injured, one common question is how to pay for needed medical bills from accident / collision / injury claims. Moore-Faust Law Group can discuss your options for covering these medical bills. We can also advise how to include these medical bill expenses as part of your injury claim for damages.

How to pay for needed medical bills from accident / collision / injury claims.

Regardless of fault for the collision, you should check if you are covered by medical payments coverage. Medical payments coverage can be through the vehicle you are in, or you may have it otherwise on your policy. This medical payments coverage may be used to cover your medical bills for injuries from the collision. Also, medical payments coverage can pay under the policy up to the available policy limits.  

Health insurance, including private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Indian Health Services, OYATE, etc., can also cover collision medical bills. A lot of our clients are initially reluctant to have their health insurance pay their medical bills. Usually they are afraid that it will limit their personal injury settlement or have issues with the paperwork. Others believe the responsible party’s insurance should front the cost of their medical treatment. 

We can explain and assist with paperwork surrounding the application, use, and repayment / subrogation for medical payments coverage, private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, OYATE, and other coverages for medical bills due to injuries suffered from collisions and other personal injury claims.  

While the other party may be at fault for your injuries, the only person responsible for your medical bills – before your personal injury claim settles – is you. If you are like most people that have medical payments coverage or health insurance, these companies will handle your medical bills per their policies and typically have a right to be repaid from a settlement (called subrogation). If you do not have health insurance, we can discuss options for your receiving the medical care you need for your injuries. 

REPAYMENT OF INSURANCES THAT PAID YOUR INJURY CLAIM RELATED MEDICAL BILLS FROM ACCIDENT / COLLISION / INJURY CLAIMS

Generally speaking, you can still recover damages for your medical bills. Even if they were paid by your medical payments coverage or health insurance. Of course, you may be required to pay back your own medical payments coverage or health insurance for anything spent on your behalf due to the injury claim. Most medical payments coverage and health insurance plans have the right of reimbursement – meaning, your insurance company can require you to repay them from your settlement for any medical bills they paid on your behalf – if another person is responsible for the car accident that caused your injuries. Unfortunately, you cannot be paid twice in your settlement for the same medical costs.

So how can you tell if your auto or health insurance company is attempting to recover money from your personal injury claim settlement? You might receive a letter from your health insurance company – or another company acting on their behalf – asking if another party was responsible for your injury. Don’t worry, because our office will help you respond to this in a way that benefits your claim and complies with your policy and legal requirements. 

Your auto and health policies usually contain a provision in fine print that allows them to recover money out of your personal injury settlement. Hospitals and ambulances may also be allowed to assert a lien against your settlement – meaning their would also have to be repaid directly out of a settlement.   

Our office works very hard to significantly reduce – if not completely waive – the amount of money you must repay after your settlement. Contact Moore-Faust Injury Law Group for a free, no obligation consultation. Learn your rights if you have been injured due to another’s negligence. Call today!